


Dancing with the Chiss

by VulptexFTW



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Thrawn - Timothy Zahn
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-13
Updated: 2018-01-13
Packaged: 2019-03-04 06:30:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13358496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VulptexFTW/pseuds/VulptexFTW
Summary: Thrawn needs to learn how to dance for the Royal Imperial Academy’s graduation ball. Believe it or not, there is no slash.





	Dancing with the Chiss

“Cadet Vanto.” The smooth, cultured voice belonging to his alien roommate made Eli raise his eyes from his graduation thesis, breaking his line of thought.

Royal Imperial Academy on Coruscant had much higher requirements for the graduation thesis than Myomar Academy, meaning Eli had to basically start from scratch, with only one month to finish the paper. Otherwise, he would fail.

Failure wasn’t an option.

Eli would show these Core World snobs that even a Wild Space yokel could write a paper, even if it took all his free time between his lessons and studying for exams.

“Would you be interested in a …” The alien’s voice faltered. “I do not know the word. Mutual trade, perhaps?”

Eli narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “Mutual exchange?”

Thrawn, the real reason behind all Eli’s hardships, cleared his throat awkwardly, the otherwise unreadable face showing uncharacteristic hesitation.

“Yes. A mutual exchange of knowledge.”

Thrawn put his hands behind his back, his whole posture tense. Now this was new. The Chiss warrior hadn’t even looked this apprehensive during their first few language lessons aboard the _Strikefast_ , back when Thrawn had been worried that Eli’s mistranslation could cost him his life.

What could be the Chiss warrior possibly worried about right now?

“I could perhaps help you with your graduation thesis if you can teach me how to dance.”

Eli openly gaped at the alien.

“No way.”

Thrawn’s stance grew even more stiff; his expression hardened, his jaw clenched. It was the open admission of a lack of knowledge, not the dancing itself, which the Chiss warrior found downright uncomfortable.

Thrawn knew everything. He was the smartest, brightest student in the Royal Imperial Academy. He aced all written exams despite his language impairment, getting straight A’s.

But he couldn’t dance.

“Allow me to rephrase, Cadet Vanto. I will finish your thesis if you teach me how to dance.”

He’d really write fifty more pages atop of his own thesis in exchange for Eli teaching him a couple of Imperial standard dances?

 _Well, the presence at the graduation ball is mandatory_ , Eli mused, chewing on his bottom lip, _and Thrawn comes from a wholly different culture, so of course he wouldn’t know how to dance_ … Not that there would be anyone interested in dancing with an alien, anyway.

_Scratch that._

Thrawn wouldn’t have asked if he thought that no one would approach him at the graduation ball.

Oh no, Thrawn would be stalked by Core World ladies who would enjoy the idea of humiliating the alien cadet in front of the whole Academy, going as far as breaking down in tears after he had stepped on their rich feet.

Eli sighed. He understood where Thrawn was going with this, but still…

“Fine.” Eli reluctantly agreed. “But I expect at least an A+.”

Thrawn frowned. “I was under impression that the highest possible mark was an A.”

Eli chuckled. “It was a joke. I explained to you what a joke is, remember?”

Thrawn nodded. “Yes. I remember. I merely find nothing humorous about these human expressions.”

“Never mind.” Eli shook his head. “This goes no further, understood? No one, and I repeat _no one_ , must know that it was _I_ who taught you how to dance.”

Thrawn slowly inclined his head. “I understand. Is there any particular reason?”

Eli threw him a dull look. “We are both men. And once I’m done showing you the steps, I’ll have assume the woman’s role for you to have the opportunity to practice. Two guys just don’t dance together.”

“Oh.” Thrawn breathed out, tilting his head slightly to a side. “Why is that?”

Eli stared. _Why is that?_

“Because that’d mean they’re gay,” Eli said dryly. “And I’m not,” he added resolutely.

“Gay?” Thrawn repeated the word. “As in cheerful? Is it supposed to be a bad thing? I’ve seen human males laughing in public all the time.”

Eli cupped his face in his hands.

“No. Not as in cheerful. Man, I’ll have to buy you an urban dictionary. Gay is a slang term for a homosexual. A person attracted to members of the same gender.”

“I see.” Thrawn cocked up a blue-black eyebrow. “Is it supposed to be a bad thing? Among the Chiss, homosexual behavior is fairly common.”

Eli cleared his throat, feeling his cheeks redden in embarrassment.

“Uh, well, it varies from planet to planet but as far as the Imperial Military is concerned, engaging in homosexual acts is considered conduct unbecoming of a member of the Galactic Empire. Enough to get you an official reprimand that would go on your record if you ask a man out in front of the whole class. I, uh, don’t know if you’re one of the ‘ _fairly common Chiss,’_ as you phrased it, but if you are, a word of advice: don’t ask men out publicly. You see where I’m going with this?” he added hopefully.

“Indeed, I do not. You are sitting. You do not appear to be traveling anywhere.”

Thrawn looked as if Eli’s words made absolutely no sense.

“And in any case, that will not be a problem,” the Chiss warrior added in a firm tone. “I am not interested in mating with anyone regardless of their gender. Least of all humans.”

Eli rolled his eyes.

“You may want to skip saying something like that, too, you know, in case a lady of the court asks you out. Telling a girl she’s not attractive—whether you say that directly or imply it with your tone—is even worse than stepping on her shoes.”

Thrawn contemplated the situation for a moment. “Then what I am supposed to tell her if I do not find her aesthetically pleasing?”

Eli groaned.

“I don’t know...” Eli mumbled in a resigned tone. “Just… dance with her, exchange a couple of polite words, and then bore her to death with an art lecture or something.”

“Hmmm...” Thrawn mused, slowly inclining his head. “Thank you, Cadet Vanto. I shall defer to your expertise and make use of such a highly promising, if perhaps somewhat unconventional, strategy.”

Eli narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “You know that I’m speaking figuratively, don’t you? Boring someone to death is an expression.”

Thrawn blinked. “Yes. Of course. It is a dancing court, not a battlefield.”

Eli shook his head. “Chiss do not dance?”

“They do,” Thrawn admitted. “Group dances performed at rite-of-passage ceremonies. Birth. Maturity. Weddings. Burials. And after a successful military campaign, we are encouraged to participate in the Dance of the Warriors. Now you see why the concept of dancing with members of one’s own gender is considered perfectly normal among the Chiss.”

Eli scratched his head.

“Yeah, well, the problem is, human dances are more … sensual. You know what, whatever. The sooner we do this, the sooner we’re done with it. Let’s start with Nabicci Futana’s waltz. The Imperial Symphony Orchestra will definitely play that one at the graduation ceremony.”

And he got up, turned on the holoprojector and brought up a dancing tutorial, showing the Chiss warrior how the dance looked on a holorecording. As they observed the demonstration, Eli explained the complementary styles of the male and female steps, softly humming the rhythm to show how the steps connected with the music. Finally, he stood up and repeated the steps at a slower pace, with the alien mirroring the steps next to him.

They repeated the whole process a couple of times, and once they passed that stage, it was time for dancing in pairs.

Eli bit his tongue, hoping his embarrassment didn’t show as Thrawn assumed the male lead’s formal posture, raising his left hand and placing his right hand over Eli’s left shoulder blade.

“Ready?” Eli asked, staring blankly ahead.

“Whenever you are,” came the amused reply. Damn him! Thrawn was actually enjoying watching Eli squirm.

“You’re the lead, Thrawn. You must take the initiative.”

“As you wish.”

And so he did.

Well, at the very least, Eli had to admit that Thrawn was a fast learner, moving with smooth, fluid movements. His alien features betrayed no hesitation or awkwardness. The only hint of any uncertainty was in the glowing eyes that darted up and down from Eli’s face to Eli’s feet, revealing that this was a very different battlefield than Thrawn was used to. Still, he charged on, moving with the grace of a warrior.

Eli closed his eyes and allowed himself to be led, trying to concentrate on the music to forget the fact that he was dancing with a guy—because he was not gay. At the same time, though, he was feeling rather proud of himself for being such a good teacher.

“Cadet Thrawn.”

Their door was flung open wildly, revealing graduate student Alexandr Kallus. He would drop in from time to time to exchange notes for the Core Worlds Classical Culture class he shared with undergrads. The sudden intrusion had startled Eli, and he had instinctively tightened his grip on Thrawn.

“Could you please help me with … _Ehm_.” Kallus’s eyebrows shot upward as he took in the scene before him.

Eli immediately jumped away from Thrawn, his face flaming with mortification.

“It’s totally not what it looks like!” Eli shrieked in horror, his eyes flickering from the future ISB agent over to the Chiss warrior, who didn’t looked embarrassed one bit.

“I would think it is _exactly_ what it looks like.” Thrawn said in a confused tone, frowning. “Cadet Vanto is teaching me to dance.”

 

**THE END**

 


End file.
